SkillsUSA Qualifier at GNTC sends 48 to State

Twenty-eight high schools from across Northwest Georgia competed in the SkillsUSA Region 1 Qualifying Competition hosted by Georgia Northwestern Technical College November 30. Hundreds of competitors represented their schools hoping to qualify for SkillsUSA Georgia being held in Atlanta next March.

Contestants placing first or second in their respective categories at the regional event earned a spot in the state competition in 2019. High-school contestants competed in 25 different professional skill categories on the Walker County Campus of GNTC Rock Spring, Georgia.

The students who placed at the qualifier are as follows:

Advertising Design

1st Place - Alexandra Almour, Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe High School          

2nd Place - Hannah Alexander, Heritage High School

3rd Place - Stone Nicholson, Gordon Central High School

Architectural Drafting

1st Place - Norma Solis, Gilmer High School

2nd Place - Jakob Liggins, Pepperell High School

3rd Place - Tristan Alverson, Heritage High School

Automotive Refinishing             

1st Place - Hunter Forsyth, Cedartown High School

Automotive Service Technology

1st Place - Caleb Batcliff, Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy

2nd Place - Andrew Hollis, Cedartown High School

3rd Place - Jesse Taff, Rockmart High School

Cabinetmaking

1st Place - Spencer Youngblood, Cedartown High School

2nd Place - Dalton Bray, Chattooga High School

3rd Place - Banks Hathcox, Calhoun High School

Carpentry

1st Place - Forrest Todd, Gilmer High School

2nd Place - Emmanual Cornejo, Cedartown High School

3rd Place - Jonathan Pearson, Model High School

Collision Repair Technology

1st Place - Piper Ramirez, Rockmart High School

2nd Place - Austin Ledbetter, Cherokee High School

3rd Place - Johnny Angle, Cedartown High School

Cosmetology

1st Place - Faith Jenkins, Cass High School

2nd Place - Harmony Shaw, Cedartown High School

3rd Place - Jessica Forsyth, Adairsville High School

Early Childhood Education

1st Place - Jada McGill, Model High School

2nd Place - Kaitlin Bostick, Coosa High School

3rd Place - Aspen Burton, Murray County High School

Electrical Construction Wiring

1st Place - Cody McNeese, Gordon Central High School

2nd Place - Steven Vargas, Coosa High School

3rd Place - Logan Cundiff, Chattooga High School

Esthetics

1st Place - Estefania Segura, Cass High School

2nd Place - Reagan Brown, North Murray High School

3rd Place - Sandra Daniel, Cedartown High School

Extemporaneous Speaking

1st Place - Sasha Melbourne, Cherokee High School

2nd Place - Kendell Arnold, Cass High School

3rd Place - Clara Smith, Gilmer High School

First Aid/CPR

1st Place - Emilie Leyssens, Dalton High School

2nd Place - Courtney Burchfield, Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy

3rd Place - Ethan Lester, Cedartown High School

Graphic Communications

1st Place - Taylor Harris, Armuchee High School

Job Interview

1st Place - Emma Long, Pickens High School

2nd Place - Savannah Martin, Cass High School

3rd Place - Lincoln Puryear, Murray High School

Job Skills Demonstration A

1st Place - Payton Goodson, Rockmart High School

2nd Place - Skyler Nold, Pickens High School

3rd Place - Luke Crump, Gilmer High School

Job Skills Demonstration Open

1st Place - Joe Huynh, Dalton High School

2nd Place - Philena Lewis, Woodland High School

3rd Place - Alexander Duncan, LaFayette High School

Masonry

1st Place - Kevin Fraire, Gordon High School

2nd Place - Devon Bishop, Chattooga High School

3rd Place - Seth Reed, Ringgold High School

Pin Design

1st Place - Logan Drake, Creekview High School

2nd Place - Ellen Tyrell, Heritage High School

3rd Place - Sisly Mann, North Murray High School

Plumbing

1st Place - Conner Bennett, Adairsville High School

2nd Place - Oliver Nolasco, Rockmart High School

3rd Place - Cole Ray, Cedartown High School

Prepared Speech

1st Place - Emely Perez, North Murray County High School

2nd Place - Evan Holder, Cedartown High School

3rd Place - Diane Nave, LaFayette High School

Quiz Bowl  

1st Place - Floyd County College & Career Academy

2nd Place - Cherokee High School

3rd Place - Coosa High School

Technical Drafting

1st Place - Matthew Funderburk, Heritage High School

2nd Place - Zach Garrett, Pepperell High School

T-Shirt Design

1st Place - Lanie Roland, Cherokee High School

2nd Place - Byranna Darnell, Gordon Central High School

3rd Place - Elijah Pehison, Heritage High School

Welding

1st Place - Tucker Mobbs, Cedartown High School

2nd Place - Sage Owings, Chattooga High School

3rd Place - Dakota Roper, Coosa High School

“The competitions went very well this year,” said GNTC SkillsUSA Advisor Missy McClain. “The talent was exceptional this time around and our high schools in Northwest Georgia will be well represented. 2019 should be a very good year for our area.”

GNTC is known for its prowess on the national stage of SkillsUSA at the collegiate level. This past summer, GNTC sent 17 national qualifiers to the 2018 SkillsUSA National Competition in Louisville, Kentucky in June. Seven of those finished in the top 10 in the nation. In 2017, GNTC’s Ryan Fincher of Cedartown, Georgia won the national championship in the category.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of Northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma, or a certificate in business, health, industrial, or public service career paths. This past year, 16,402 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,750 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 8,652 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start.  GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.

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Don Foley Assistant Director, Marketing and PR